We’ll be covering all movies in the franchise as well as the most recently released one, Dark Phoenix and with that set to end the film franchise this is our definitive list.
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With that out the way, I’m Deffinition and let’s rank the X-men films from best to worst!
12. X-Men: Origins: Wolverine
X-Men: Origins: Wolverine pretty much ensured that none of the other characters were getting solo movies after it completely ruined the character and franchise. This is a key example of why prequels don’t really work and the plodding film has pretty much become the laughing joke of the franchise.
This messed it all up. Sabertooth, Gambit and Deadpool to the point that Ryan Reynolds had to go back in time and kill this version of the character in Deadpool 2’s post-credits scene.
This is a disaster and whether it’s bad CGI, walking away from the camera explosions or Will.I.Am being in the film, this is bad bad bad.
11. X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men The Last Stand had so much potential but it completely dropped the ball. This is the first film in the franchise to tackle the Dark Phoenix Saga and it does so pretty disastrously with a lot of the drama that should come from it becoming pure Schlock.
Vinnie Jones’ casting as The Juggernaut is laughably bad, Rogue is relegated to a d-lister, Halle Berry gets far more screen time than she deserves, Cyclops is pretty much thrown out in the first five minutes and Professor X gets a laughable death that is so bad that the rest of the franchise ignored it completely upon resurrecting him.
There are some excellent moments in the film such as Magneto playing chess at the end and missing Charles, but overall there’s just so much bad here that it leaves a very sour taste. This pretty much destroyed the original cast being put in movies for several years and due to that, it ranks very low on the list.
10. X-men: Dark Phoenix
X-men: Dark Phoenix is our latest and the last entry in the franchise. At this point, the Dark Phoenix saga seems impossible to adapt and this feels like another failed attempt. It’s not bad, it’s not amazing, it’s just very middle of the road and feels like a completely unnecessary entry that doesn’t really do anything good or bad.
I think at this point that the X-men Franchise has run it’s course and whilst we had some amazing films, this feels like the right time to end it and pass it over to Disney.
9. X-men: Apocalypse
X-men Apocalypse is a film that I’m quite torn on. Though I enjoyed it quite a lot upon first watch, after repeat viewings of the film it just doesn’t quite hold up. The new team don’t possess the charisma as the original or even first class group and the movie drags in quite a lot of sections, making for a difficult second watch, especially due to it’s lengthy run time.
In comparison to Thanos, Apocalypse really falls flat and though Oscar Isaac does well with what material he is given, all in all he doesn’t feel quite as terrifying as he should.
There are still some stunning visuals here but nothing that really feels like a high point of the series and that’s why it ranks lower in the list.
8. X2
Now the position of this film is something that I kinda went back and forth on because whilst I love it, I actually prefer the first film. There’s just too much-kidified stuff in this and I feel like the movie does a lot of jokes that it doesn’t really land. Cyclops is relegated to a side character here, Halle Berry gets far too much screen time and Lady Deathstrike is handled abysmally.
So, those are my reasons why it doesn’t rank higher. Now saying all that, it’s still really enjoyable, Bryan Cox makes a phenomenal villain as William Stryker and he’s arguably one of the best in the series. The Wolverine Arc too really develops here and you get an added sense of the mutant legislation pressure after the phenomenal Nightcrawler intro.
Overall it’s still an excellent film but it just drops the ball a bit for me in certain areas that make it rank slightly lower for me than I’m sure it will for most.
7. X-Men: First Class
X-Men First Class is a real shot in the arm for the franchise that re-introduces the central X-men characters in a fantastic new way. The incredible Bond-esque first half hour that follows Magneto as he tracks down the Nazi’s that murdered his family, coupled with the enthralling origin story for Professor X and Mystique are wonderfully portrayed and this period piece feels like a fresh new start that revitalises the franchise in many interesting ways.
6. Deadpool
There are four or five moments in your life, four or five moments where you get to see a film this groundbreaking. Deadpool was and still is a complete game changer in the superhero genre. After taking years to finally come to fruition, nothing about this film falls flat with the movie revolutionizing the R rated comic book film and creating a massive trendsetter.
Deadpool is unique in it’s fourth wall breaking dialogue that makes every moment shine throughout the film. The movie is hilarious from start to finish and it also has a heart that really elevates it above the majority of movies on this list. Brilliant from beginning to end, Deadpool deserves it’s high ranking.
5. Deadpool 2: Extended Cut
Deadpool 2 for me bettered its predecessor in every way. Whether it’s the dialogue, comedy, action or characters, every aspect of the film feels like a step up and it’s a brilliant film that is improved even more by it’s extended cut that adds more profanity, gore and more.
Whether it’s the hilarious cameos, outstanding music or expanded cast, everything feels like a step up from the first film and it’s an amazing movie from start to finish.
4. X-Men
X-Men is a film that I fell in love with upon first viewing and even today I regard it really highly. This really kick-started the comic book movie craze and feels like a blast from start to finish. Every character feels perfectly introduced and it’s incredible what the creative team were able to pull off first go when films like Justice League still fail to juggle characters in this manner.
The movie made a star of Hugh Jackman and rightly so, he is incredible in the role and when you have phenomenal actors like Patrick Stuart and Ian McKellen backing him up it’s difficult to go wrong.
This is the original and still one of the best and that’s why it ranks so highly on our list.
3. The Wolverine
To me, the Wolverine feels like the quintessential solo outing for the character that is as close to the comics as humanly possible in the Fox universe. From the incredible Atom Bomb opening all the way to the bone claws at the end, this film feels enthralling, unique and emotional. The extended cut features far more violence and gore than the theatrical version and it expertly showcases why Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is one of the best comic book characters ever put to screen.
It’s amazing that this movie was filmed in Australia as the set design makes it look completely authentic as a Japanese local and it makes me wish that more films used the country as a setting.
Overall this is a brilliant piece that definitely deserves a revisit if you’re a bit so-so on it as the action, acting and in-depth look at Logan’s psychology is phenomenal.
2. Logan
Coming in at a close second in Logan, though it could be argued that on any given day this is the best film in the franchise. Logan transcends the genre and works just as well as a drama piece as it does comic book movie. Every actor is giving their all in this film and whilst it has a far slower pace than the other movies in the franchise, it heightens the drama through impactful moments heartbreaking story beats.
Logan is a near perfect film that is probably one of the best comic book movies ever made and that’s why it ranks so high on this list.
1. X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut
X-Men: Days Of Future Past is the pinnacle of the X-men franchise for me. Set in an apocalyptic future the film immediately sets up the threat of the Sentinels in one of the most devastating introductions in the entire series and from here it’s break neck pace, solid acting and passing of the torch from the old generation to the new massively elevate it above the rest.
This time travel story not only successfully adapts the source material but to me it also betters it. The movie really has everything and film perfectly balances the future with the 1970s period setting in an astounding manner.
This solved a lot of the problems of the franchise and whilst it would go on to create more this beautifully feels like a high point.
Oh, and don’t forget the Quicksilver scene which is by far the best action moment in the entire run and you have the greatest X-men movie ever made.
Your List
Obviously, I’d love to hear your list and where you rank the films of the franchise. Comment below and let me know and if you enjoyed this video then please like it and make sure you subscribe to the channel for my ending explained breakdown of Dark Phoenix which will be out in the next couple of days.
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